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Kirk W

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Posts posted by Kirk W

  2. My hydraulic slides, electric slide, hydraulic jacks and inverter stopped working.

    in Technical Tips and Tricks

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Angie M said:

    Our hydraulic slides, hydraulic jacks, electric slide and our inverter no longer work at all.  

    What make & model is your leveling system? What slide mechanism is it? What about the inverter, dose it now work? Have you checked the electrolyte level in the battery cells? What is the voltage that you measure across the battery terminals? Make & model of the RV might also be helpful. With more information we might be able to find tech manuals for at least some of the problem areas. 

    6 hours ago, Angie M said:

    Now yesterday someone was messing with the electrical and our Bulldog power surge protector was off when we came home.  Plugged it in and it shows no codes but now is on.  All electric works but these items stated above.

    By this do you mean that someone had unplugged your RV power cord? Are you in a commercial RV park? Public campground? All of the items that you mention as not working use 12V power but if your converter is working it should supply that. Some things might draw more current than is available without a fully charged battery, but the converter should recharge the battery(s) if given enough time. If you measure the voltage across the battery terminals with no shore power and again with shore power the voltage should increase when shore power is applied if the converter is working. Another test would be to monitor the voltage across the battery while someone tries to move the slide or the leveling jacks and see if it drops. 

  5. SLIDEOUT IS NOT LEVEL

    in Technical Tips and Tricks

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Angie M said:

    I am trying to add pictures but it keeps saying file exceeds size

    If you put the pictures into one of the free, online photo storage locations you will then be able to use the "other media" and the "insert image from url" and thus show them on the forum. The other way would be to use a digital photo editor to make them smaller. 

  6. Hanging up the fulltime keys :(

    in Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle

    Posted · Edited by Kirk W

    2 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

    A lot of ups and downs, but we're still hopeful about summer camping. 

    Sorry to hear about your latest difficulty! Pam has had a complete right ankle replacement (Inbone), right hip replacement, back surgery, 2 plates for broken right arm,  and last Friday her left knee. Since RVing is difficult at best when using a cane or walker, we sold our RV last summer. I'm not 81 (Pam almost 83) and we still plan to do some travel, just not by RV. Letting the RV go was not an easy thing to do since we had owned some type of RV since 1974 but I suppose all things must end one day. I have been pretty fortunate that I have few issues thus far but do find the part of caregiver to be more challenging this time. We are also at an age where we also need to be very aware of our driving skills, even with a car as there is little doubt that such things do diminish with age. 

  7. About refrigerators and generators

    in Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle

    Posted

    While that sounds high, it would depend on how many hours the work took, what was wrong with the generator, and what they had to do in order to repair it. It would also make a difference where the work was done as labor rates are not the same everywhere. Cummins-Onan has a quote service on their website. The last that I checked, their labor rates ranged between $130 & $190 per hour. Most RV shops are similar to that. 

  11. LED company

    in General RV Information

    Posted

    11 hours ago, The Travelers said:

    We'll pay for anything that will not blink.

    You need to tell us more about the problem of blinking. What exactly are the existing light assemblies and what sort of LEDs are you using that blinks? Do the lights work fine with the original bulbs and what type of bulbs are they? Have you checked the 12V supply at the sockets?

  12. Diesel fuel in my coach has gone bad. Engine doesn't run. What next?

    in Class A

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

    Recent/this century, diesel engines/Cummins, have a feature in the ECM to prevent "dry starts". The ECM only allows an engine start after the ECM "sees' oil pressure.

    While that is a big improvement, the engine that has sat for months will still have no lubrication when it begins turning over. Delaying the start does lessen the amount but only a prelube system completely resolves that and looking at the Cummins website it lists a prelube system as optional on some engines. I suspect that starting any engine is the thing that is most wearing thing we do to it under normal circumstances. 

  15. Wholesale Warranties

    in Other Topics

    Posted · Edited by Kirk W
    add a thought

    28 minutes ago, Second Chance said:

    We prefer to set money aside regularly (earning interest) and pay for repairs as they come up.

    While this is by far the best approach, it requires both the funds to do that and also the selfdissipline to keep all of it there and to contribute to it as planned. If the cost of replacing an engine or transmission would mean the end of your travels, then you should consider an extended warranty, but if you have ability to pay for even the most expensive of repairs, then you would be foolish to get one. An average traditional gasoline engine will cost between $4,500 and $6,000 to replace with a new engine. Even a used engine may cost you around $3,000 to $4,000. Four-speed transmissions are going to run between $3,000 and $4,000. If it's a six-speed, you're probably looking at between $4,000 and $5,000. 

    If you were to set aside $10,000 as a reserve and then add $100/month into it for the years that you travel, paying out of it only for major repairs, you could have the needed funds to help replace the RV when the time comes, if you never have a major repair to pay for. 

  16. Diesel fuel in my coach has gone bad. Engine doesn't run. What next?

    in Class A

    Posted

    11 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

    A point of general knowledge; do not start the engine unless you can drive the vehicle for 20 minutes to get everything, including motor oil up to normal operating  temperature.

    That is true for any vehicle engine if it has been sitting long enough to be considered to be a dry start, according to the Ford tech support folks. They define a dry start as all oil having drained from the lubrication points and it is typically about 2 weeks. The reason that they gave me for driving was to warm not only the engine but also the transmission enough to evaporate any moisture that may have condensed inside and to fully lubricate all critical points in the entire drive train. 

  17. Wholesale Warranties

    in Other Topics

    Posted

    Extended warranties are not really a warranty but an insurance policy covering repairs. It is very important to make sure that any you consider be of the type that covers everything except the listed items, rather than the type that only cover listed items. You should also shop the extended warranties, if you plan to buy one and Wholesale Warranties does seem to have a pretty good reputation, but don't discount the one offered by the dealer without checking it out first as some of the are good and others not so good. Realize that only rarely does an extended warranty, or any other insurance policy save you money as they are written by "for profit" companies and must take in enough to pay their salaries and profits in addition to what is paid out in claims. We buy insurance for our homes because it would be a financial disaster if it was destroyed and because the mortgages companies require us to do so. Insurance of any kind should only be purchased if it will pay for a loss that would be financially destructive if not covered. While it was some time ago, RV Extended Warranties was published in Escapees Magazine and most of what it says still applies.

  19. The only hybrid that can be towed 4 wheels down?

    in General RV Information

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Arnie Strauss said:

    You can see this (on line) in the 2024 Corsair PHEV owner's manual.

    2024 Corsair PHEV owner's manual

    Towing Your Vehicle  (page 496)

    Switching Neutral Tow On 1. Switch your vehicle on in accessory mode. 2. Press the menu button on the steering wheel to enter the information display main menu. 3. Select Settings. 4. Select Neutral Tow. 5. Follow the instructions on the information display. 6. Fully press the brake pedal. 7. Shift into neutral (N). 8. Switch the ignition off. Note: Switching neutral tow on requires battery power. Note: If the parking brake is applied, a message appears in the information display.

    Note: If your vehicle has an ignition key, you cannot remove the key from the ignition when the transmission is in neutral (N) and your vehicle is off. Note: Start the engine and allow it to run for a few minutes at the beginning of each day, and every six hours or fewer. With the engine running and your foot on the brake, shift into drive (D) and then into reverse (R) before shifting back into neutral (N). Before continuing to tow, switch neutral tow on.

    Let us know when you get us and give us a review. As to the baseplate and towbar, even though I have used Blue Ox for years, I would not hesitate to use one from Roadmaster as they also have an excellent rating and a long history of quality and support. 

     

  20. Federal Jury Duty Summons in Beaumont

    in Graduating to Fulltime

    Posted · Edited by Kirk W
    Add information.

    Are you referring to the US District Court, Eastern District of Texas, located in Beaumont, TX? Since there is no special arrangement between the court and the Escapees, I strongly recommend that you contact the court as quickly as possible to discuss your situation. The only arrangement for jury service is with the Polk County Courts.

    Clerk's Office and CM/ECF Help Desk: (409) 654-7000

    Jury Clerk:

    • Re: Qualification Questionnaire postcard or form:
      (866) 291-6747
    • Re: Summons to Report for Jury Duty:
      (409) 654-6200

    Office Hours:
     

    Monday - Friday (except Federal Holidays)
    8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Mailing Address:

     

    United States District Clerk
    Jack Brooks Federal Building and United States Courthouse
    300 Willow Street Suite 104
    Beaumont, Texas 77701

  21. full timers and doctors

    in Health Issues and Medical Insurance

    Posted · Edited by Kirk W
    add a thought

    20 hours ago, bthomforde said:

    What do other full timers do in a case like this?

    Unfortunately, difficulty in choosing a doctor has become the norm for pretty much everyone today and particularly so for seniors. Because most doctors with established practices are so busy that they can be selective about who they accept. Another consideration is the type of healthcare plan that you have. Many doctors who do accept new patients will not accept new Medicare patients and some who do so don't accept Advantage plans. As a diabetic patient, if you know others I suggest that you get recommendations from them.  If you share the location of your domicile there may be someone on the forums who can suggest some possible choices. 

  23. SHURflo water pump

    in Technical Tips and Tricks

    Posted

    2 hours ago, lappir said:

    A couple of days ago I decided to try and investigate further, but really could not see where the pump was,

    What I have done to find the location of a leak is to wrap a paper towel around each possible location and then test the system for a short time. The towel will show effects from being wet even if it should dry before you get back to it. Locating the source is usually the most difficult part. 

    2 hours ago, lappir said:

    I'm looking for info about rebuilding the pump.

    Many pumps do have rebuild kits available but if the leak is from the pump housing that will probably mean replacing the pump. Before you to that make sure that it isn't just a fitting that is leaking. 

    2 hours ago, lappir said:

    I found my water heater drains back into the fresh tank when all water is shut off.

    Does the water tank get full when the RV is connected to city water? If so that does mean that the pump is not acting as a check valve as they should. I don't remember having heard of a water heater emptying back to the tank before but if it did with the electric element turned on, it would likely destroy it in time. 

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